Computer Network Interconnection: Problems and Prospects

Computer Network Interconnection: Problems And Prospects by Ira W. Cotton. This National Bureau of Standards Special Publication (SP 500-6, 1977) examines the current state of interconnecting computer networks, with emphasis on packet-switched networks. It identifies barriers—technological, regulatory, and market-power related—and surveys possible solutions rather than endorsing a single path. The volume outlines four major interconnection types: circuit-switched networks to PSN, star-network interconnection to PSN, simple terminal to PSN, and PSN to PSN. It also surveys the roles of communications carriers, regulators, and standards bodies (ISO, CCITT, ANSI, EIA, NBS, NCS) and explains interface concepts, protocol layering, and the distinction between datagrams and virtual circuits. The text includes discussions of X.25 as an inter-networking interface, gateway architectures, and the engineering tradeoffs involved in host interfaces and terminal support. An extensive bibliography, glossary, and appendices of existing standards accompany the analysis, illustrating the prospects for a standardized, globally interconnected data-network infrastructure.